Playable Shadows

[Erithania]

We're now implementing player-driver Shadows. Below, you'll find information regarding everything you will need to know to make and launch your own Shadow!

Ultimately, how a Shadow comes about and replaces their human counterpart is up to you, the player. There are a few things to keep in mind, though. The human from which the Shadow originates will have been eliminated by the Shadow in some way, shape or form. Reasons can vary. It could be rejections ala P4, or just outright trying to kill them ala P2. Be a little creative. Your Shadow can originate from anywhere in the world, though, as not all Shadows have to necessarily have come about after the lockdown with a Mosaic citizen. Just like there are Veteran Persona-users from all walks of life around the world, there will be Shadows that emerged from these incidents, safe and sound.

Now, you might be wondering about little details regarding Shadows in Mosaic. Why and how can they get into the city? Well, for one, these Shadows have two forms. The first form is that of their original human shape. The second is their actual Shadow form. While in human form, they can safely travel around Mosaic with no issues. They look just like another random person on the street. Persona-users will not be able to sense them while they are in human form. Particularly sensitive Users, and perhaps Anti-Shadow Weapons will be able to notice something slightly off if they're right next to them, but nothing they can put their fingers on. Shadows in human form can sense each other, however. Outside the city, in the Shadowlands, Shadows can change shape to their Shadow form. At this point, they can be sensed by anybody around. Dependent on their own strength, the Shadow will give off the sensations you'd expect from a Stratum Boss, perhaps more.

Now, you might be asking why we're allowing Shadows. These are essentially player-driven bosses with social lives. How you play your Shadow is up to you, but you'll be a bit hardier than a Persona-user or an ASW. Shadows have a few perks over Users. For example, more Custom moves, more Unique moves, 10 skill slots, a few more resistances, and the like. Below, you'll find some information covering these perks, as well as the costs and whatnot to grow your Shadow to its maximum potential.

On launch, your Shadow can apply 20,000 FP into Skills and Resistances however you'd like. Your Shadow will start with up to 2 Nulls, with one weakness. You can split 1 Null into 2 Resistances, if you'd like, for a maximum of 4 Resistances versus 1 Weakness. With 1 Weakness, you can upgrade your various Resistances to up to 4 Repel/Absorbs. Is that not enough? Then, by developing a second Weakness, you can expand the maximum to 6. Moving on, you may have up to 4 Custom Skills on your Shadow, as well as up to 4 Unique skills (the bolded moves in the Persona shop). Don't want 4 Customs? Your unused Custom Skills can be swapped over to Uniques, if you want. Below are the costs for all these transactions.

-Resistances-

Neutral - - - Resist – 1k
Resist - - - Null – 2k
Null - - - Absorb/Repel – 4k

Should you skip a step, just add them up.

For Custom Skills, we'll require a description of the move, including attribute, targets, secondary effects, and any circumstances regarding its use. These will cost 10k a pop, and, as could be expected, will need to be verified by staff for fairness.

Now, Shadows are obviously a unique existence. After all, why would they explore and hunt their own kind? More than that, why would a certain blonde woman buy their crap or give them missions? Shadows cannot get FP in the same way that Civilians, Users, or ASW's can. So, here's the down-low for how you get FP.

Once a week, your Shadow can feed off of emotional energy in Mosaic for a hefty amount of FP. These threads will have a board set aside for them- think of it as the Shadow alternative to salvages.

For every complete Social thread, you can get a small amount of FP for feeding off of emotions from your companions.

You will receive bonus FP for every battle your Shadow is in against other Player Characters. Completion of battles will result in a set reward. Winning these battles will offer greater rewards. Players participating in these battles will also receive FP rewards. While Shadows can interfere with Stratum Bosses, consent from the Users must be acquired for Stratum 3. 4 and 5 are open game. Stratum 1 and 2 are entirely off-limits.

You will receive FP for activity taken in Full Moon Battles.


Amounts for us to know, if we're not sharing:

Feeding – 2k
Social – 1.5k
Battles = 250 x (# of posts x # of enemies); 500 FP for a completed fight, 1000 more for a victory
FMB = 500 x # of posts


Finally, the requirements for making a Shadow. We want them, so the bar isn't set too high. We don't, however, want people just floating in and making them left and right. We'll require players to have at least one Persona-user or Civilian, leveled to Level 2. Furthermore, for a second Shadow character, you'd need at least one more Persona-user/Civilian meeting this requirement.



Should you have questions, comments, or concerns, please post them here, and we'll treat this as a small discussion until everything is ironed out.

[Vice Ysal]

Are we allowed to turn existing characters into shadows?

[Erithania]

While not within our original intentions (for system issues), Chrom and I did discuss this with each other. It has merits due to the fact that it could be used for plots. That said, we will allow them under the following conditions.

A Persona-user going Shadow will not receive any new benefits. As it is the same character, they will retain their account's existing FP, equipment to sell, and the like. Upon changing into a Shadow, they may change their Persona to a more advanced "Shadow" form, if you so choose, but you will retain their existing skill set and their existing resistances/nulls. In other words, they will not have access to the 20k "package" a fresh Shadow would get, nor do they suddenly develop two immunities.

A Civilian going Shadow will essentially be a "new Shadow". In other words, they will get the 20k to invest into skills as they choose, as well as two free nulls. They also retain their existing FP and equipment to sell.

[Vice Ysal]

When a User turns, the only difference it would actually have would be the lack of the package deal, right? Every existing and available perk would still be usable, such as increased skill slots, upgradable resistances, and such yes? Weapon and Armour mods would still have their uses as well.

On top of that, how will players be able to gauge the strength of these Player Shadows, will there be a level guide for them as well?

[Erithania]

Skill slots would automatically open to ten, yes. Your resistances will match your current ones as a Persona-user, but you can upgrade them through purchases, yes. Weapons and armor, however, are just there to sell for FP. After all, some of these Shadow-forms won't necessarily be humanoid; wearing armor, then changing into a giant snake wouldn't work. This is why Shadows can purchase up to 6 total resistances. As for weapons, Shadows can materialize a part of their form as a weapon, if they so choose. For the most part, they'd battle in their Shadow form.

In regards to strength, Shadows are inherently more powerful than a single-user, and should be treated as a boss-level opponent. They're not meant for soloing, but for team efforts. Sure, if a User was end-game versus a fresh Shadow, they could win. But that's an extreme example. For all intents and purposes, they're portable bosses with stories. In-world, Users and ASWs will sense them, as mentioned above, about on the same level as a Stratum Boss.